ABOUT THIS WEBSITE

This website offers various approaches to practicing the art of improvisational preluding at the piano. This discipline was once common practice but more or less disappeared during the last century. In recent years, there has been renewed interest in reviving this artform. The content found on this website is the result of research in the artistic and pedagogical field, with a three-year course at the piano department of the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp (Belgium). It relies on historical didactic instructions to make preluding at the piano accessible and up-to-date again, and promotes the development of a contemporary approach.

Recently, methods and publications for instruments other than piano have been added to this website, as well as a work-in-progress section on the larger improvisational forms for keyboard such as fantasia, variations, pot-pourris, etc., including an in-depth look at the methods of some of history's best improvisers.

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WHAT IS AN IMPROVISED PRELUDE?

An improvised prelude precedes a piece of repertoire in the same key. Such a prelude is very short, usually between 10 and 30 seconds, but depending on the circumstances it can be longer. It is based on a harmonic progression similar to an extended cadenza, has little melodic content, and is mostly unmeasured.

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HOW TO START

Learning to improvise preludes means developing harmonic knowledge, keyboard skills and a vivid imagination, so mastering this discipline cannot be accomplished by only following a linear, step-by-step plan. This is why each section of the website approaches preluding from a different angle. Young pianists or beginners should first familiarize themselves with basics, whereas advanced pianists could start with harmonizations and diminutions. 

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SOME HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ABOUT PRELUDING AT THE PIANO

Historically, improvised keyboard preludes were a common phenomenon in the 19th century, and they could serve various purposes: as an introductory gesture, a kind of warm-up, an announcement of the following piece, an expressive soliloquy, a way of becoming familiar with the instrument, a means of attracting the listener's attention or raising their expectations, a test of the instrument's tuning and the hall's acoustics, and above all a way to set the mood for the piece that is being introduced. Although the tradition of improvisational preluding or l'Art de Préluder extended into the early 20th century, it reached its peak between 1770 and 1840, with master pianists such as Mozart, Clementi, Dussek, Beethoven, Kalkbrenner, Hummel, Czerny, Moscheles, Chopin and Liszt. According to Czerny, preluding is the very first step into the domain of improvisation.

 

The art of preluding is a demanding discipline that requires the performer not only to have sufficient knowledge and technical skills, but also to be creative and spontaneous while adapting to the circumstances of that moment, inviting the public to a unique experience.